The bloc against Venezuela was created at Washington's behest.
"There is no doubt that this move to create this Prosul organization, which is being launched today in Santiago, is a move by the United States and its allies in the region to weaken Unasur, because they have failed to turn Unasur into yet another instrument of attack against Venezuela," said Professor Roberto Santana.
Sputnik – Presidents of seven South American countries signed the Santiago Declaration this Friday (22), which marks the beginning of the process of creating the Forum for the Progress of South America (Prosul).
The new community of South American countries replaces the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), which has been paralyzed for more than two years. The Prosul proposal, conceived by the Chilean president, has a more flexible, streamlined, and less costly format, and should focus on concrete initiatives among the countries and joint actions for the integration and development of the region.
The nations that make up Prosul understood that Unasur, as it has functioned since its launch in 2008, has lost practical effectiveness, while maintaining costs, and has begun to dispute decisions on issues that are already addressed in other forums, such as Mercosur.
However, according to Roberto Santana, professor of International Relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), the group was a direct move by the United States to exert pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro and gain more control over South America.
"There is no doubt that this move to create this Prosul organization, which is being launched today in Santiago, is a move by the United States and its allies in the region to weaken Unasur, because they were unable to turn Unasur into yet another instrument of attack against Venezuela," he told Sputnik Brazil.
The declaration was signed by the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guyana, and Peru. The leaders of Uruguay, Bolivia, and Suriname did not attend.
"As a sign of protest, they are emptying out UNASUR and creating another organization that is very negative for the region. International organizations should function with the participation of all countries, regardless of whether the government of the day is more left-leaning or more right-leaning," Roberto Santana emphasized.
The Santiago Declaration establishes that the objectives of Prosul are continuous dialogue and the coordination of joint actions for the development of the region.
According to Roberto Santana, from the moment that Brazil and Argentina, in particular, began to be governed by more right-wing parties, there was a deliberate weakening of Unasur so that the organization created in the 2000s would lose its power.
"What is clear is that there is a very strong regional dispute, and the main point of contention is Venezuela. And it is clear that we cannot conduct any political analysis of Latin America and South America without the participation of the United States," he stated.
According to the statement, the Prosul initiative should address, in a flexible manner, themes of integration in infrastructure, energy, health, defense, security and the fight against crime, and the prevention and management of natural disasters.
In a speech following the presidential summit, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera said that Prosul is intended to "address problems and seize opportunities" that are common to the countries of the region.